1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to crash protection systems, and more particularly, to crash protection systems employing inflatable bladders (commonly referred to as "airbags").
2. Description of the Related Art
Crew members and passengers aboard an aircraft may be required to walk around the cabin of an aircraft during flight, however, during this time they do not have adequate protection from bodily injury in case of crash or unnatural jarring motion. These crew members and passengers are "unrestrained," that is , they are not secured in place or strapped in a seat. For example, a crew chief aboard a military helicopter may be required to move about a helicopter cabin during periods of particularly high risk of crash such as when performing an "eyes and ears" function (i.e., advising a pilot or copilot of the helicopter's location relative to obstructions and other hazards).
Under some circumstances, a crew chief can rely upon minimal restraints, such as a gunner's belt, but even these type of minimal restraints interfere with a crew chief's duties and cannot be employed in all situations. As a consequence, crew chiefs are often totally unrestrained or unsupported during mishaps and, therefore, crew chiefs suffer severe or even fatal injuries disproportionate to their representation among helicopter crew members.
Other military helicopter crew members, such as mine sweep operators, must be positioned in locations which cannot be equipped with normal crew protective systems such as energy absorbing seats and full torso restraint systems. These crew members may be in extremely close proximity to a multitude of potential strike hazards. The nature of their duties requires that these personnel operate from more hazardous positions with the attendant increased risk of injury should a crash occur.
Current methods of protection for military helicopter crew members include a gunner's belt or, worse, no restraint at all. A gunner's belt fails to restrain the wearer's body. It is primarily intended to prevent the wearer from falling from an in-flight helicopter. With a gunner's belt, a wearer is at the end of a long webbing pendant and, in the event of a crash, will be flung about freely to strike any hazard which might be within the radius described by the pendant and the flexed human body at its end. In addition, if a crew member took a gunner's belt with him to connect at various points in the helicopter as he moved about, the gunner's belt would be an encumbrance and pose a potential entanglement hazard, capable of snagging upon cargo, equipment, structure, other personnel, etc.
Another option is to require military crew members to remain seated and fully restrained. This is a totally unacceptable alternative from a safety of flight operations viewpoint since a crew member would be unable to perform a valuable "eyes and ears" function.
"Airbag" systems have been used to protect persons on moving vehicles such as automobiles, however, these systems are designed to protect people in restrained positions. For example, the driver of an automobile is restrained in the driver's seat. Automobile-type airbag systems are not designed to protect an unrestrained person, such as those who must walk throughout the cabin of a moving helicopter.